Products shipped from their manufacturer are typically loaded onto wooden units. The units are lifted with a forklift on or in a shipping container, for transportation to the ultimate destination, generally a retail outlet. When the goods arrive at their destination, the goods are removed from the shipping container, loaded onto units, and moved to a storage or use location using a forklift or similar device.
On example of such a unit is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,763 to Bush (incorporated herein in its entirety by reference), which discloses a collapsible pallet rack for shipping and storing heavy roll goods having a central mandrel. The rack includes two pairs of adjacent and opposite upright corner posts that fold inwardly and downwardly. Two side bars connect together the pair of upright corner posts. Two pairs of upper and lower end bars are provided. Each pair of upper and lower end bars connect together a pair of adjacent corner posts. On top of each upper end bar is a cradle positioned centrally for receiving one end of the central mandrel. A hold-down plate is fastened on top of each cradle. Two pairs of hinge plates connect the two pairs of corner posts with the two side bars. When the corner posts are folded inwardly and downwardly, the hinge plates cause the corner posts to lie parallel to the side bars, but not flat against them. In particular, when the corner posts are folded, the hinge plates come to rest at an angle with respect to the side bars, and the corner posts extend from the hinge plates. This construction provides a disadvantage in that since the corner posts do not lie flat against the side bars, the units cannot be stacked on top of one another when they are in the folded position. If they were stacked, the weight of the upper unit would bear on the hinge plate, possibly causing it to bend or break.
Other examples can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,692,625, 3,857,494, and 2,954,197 (each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference). However, there is a need for a rackable, collapsible and stackable pallet that can be collapsed into a small size with ease, and which can be easily opened and stacked.